So--I'm on the Cape--tis lovely. And I was going to get a sandwich at this place Box Lunch which is a bit of a chain on the Cape--they make this wonderful sandwich called the gilded lily made of crab meat salad and avocado--AMAZING. So I ordered my sandwich and was schmying around the shop waiting for it to be ready, and saw that near the bathrooms, the owners had set up clipping about a local kid, college age, perhaps related to them, who knows, who was killed by cops after he, in a psychotic state, shot into a police station and led them on a chase. He was having a severe mental breakdown, and it was written up in the papers. Then his family created a little monument to him, and after a month the cops took it down, and this caused a bit of a local controversy. Point is this: next to the newspaper clippings, there was a large picture of the young guy, a totally "normal" attractive kid, and there was a poem his sister wrote about his death, and there was information about mental illness, suicide, and what to do if you or someone you know needs help. And I just thought it was so great, and brave, for the Box Lunch to take this opportunity to do some mental health awareness in their community.
2 comments:
It's encouraging to read that small towns like the one on the Cape are actually taking a stand to educate and de-stigmatize mental illness. It's too bad that more communities are reluctant to behave in such positive and informative ways. Go Cape Cod!
You're right, it is incredibly encouraging to see something like that posted. I feel like more and more we see 'clippings' of young people who die by suicide, but rarely is the connection made between suicide and a potential mental health disorder. It leads so many suicide survivors to have even less understanding; and so many people who see their loved ones in trouble not to do anything because they don't truly understand the consequences. Public articles and postings like the one in this sandwich shop really help to educate the general public about the connections, and close that gap. Kudos to everyone willing to stand up for this issue.
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